Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. Sony Xperia T

Many new phones have been making an appearance on the market lately, and each one seems to be trying to outdo the last. Companies are adding in better cameras, more memory, larger screens, thinner bodies, and processors that could rival that of a computer. The two leading smartphones out today are the iPhone and the Galaxy series by Samsung. There is however a new phone that will be coming to the markets in the coming months that might give the Galaxy a run for its money.

The Good Things Samsung Galaxy S3: The S3 is an Android phone that runs on the Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Samsung offers up to seven home screens which can be moved around as well as deleted. The home screens allow for the movement and rearrangement of apps and widgets, as well as the capability to hide apps.

There is a pull down bar which offers many more shortcuts than available in other phones. It also offers options such as screen rotation, sound, notifications, power saving mode, driving mode, and many others. The S3 also has 16 GB of storage, and 32 and 64 GB phones on the way. The screen is an HD Super AMOLED screen that is 4.8 inches with a 720x1280 resolution. This offers exciting colors and great contrast and detail for photos and videos. The keyboard on the Samsung allows for both standard and swype typing and both work very well on the 4.8 inch screen, allowing for plenty of typing room for bigger fingers. The S3 has a wide range of apps from games to organizational which work well with the S3 S-Pen. New apps will also be available once the S3 is launched.

Like the Galaxy S2, the S3 has an 8-megapixel camera and an f/2.6 lens. The camera resolution is excellent in good lighting, promoting bright colors and lots of detail. The camera comes with a flash option that does not distort the colors in the pictures. It also allows for HD video recording that allows for a smooth frame-rate while still maintaining all the details presented in the still shots. The S3 comes with lots of storage and connectivity options.

The mobile data options are quite fast and it also comes with Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct, GPS capabilities, Bluetooth and more. Browsing experiences have been fast and smooth with excellent clarity. The S3 also has an option to save an internet page for offline viewing along with its browsing capabilities. Sony Xperia T: The Xperia T is the newest Android phone by Sony and it is causing quite the stir for its upcoming release. The Xperia has a dual-core processor and a 4.6 inch screen with a 1280x720 resolution which will launch on the Ice Cream Sandwich operating system but will be upgraded to the Jelly Bean after its launch. The body and feel of the Xperia T is similar to that of the Xperia Arc S and the Xperia S, offering a thin but still functional layout. The Sony screen has excellent LCD for reading and is much more “eye friendly” than other phones. The slight curve in the back makes it easy and comfortable to hold and maneuver. The Xperia T has a 13-megapixel camera that comes with 1080p HD video recording capabilities, flash, auto focus and face detection. It also comes with a convenient physical camera button for ease of picture taking. The detail of the picture is strong and it has a fast shutter speed, allowing for good quality, focused pictures The Sony comes with many widgets and app options, and it has a very helpful app drawer that is able to be customized for organization and ease.

Sony’s widgets and floating widgets, called “Small Apps”, have been much improved since their last phone, and thanks to the screen resolution and size, everything looks fabulous. Some highlights of the Sony widgets are the weather widget and the power manager. The Xperia T comes with five home screens, a notification bar used for volume, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other capabilities.

The Xperia T still has the QWERTY keyboard, but Sony has upgraded it to come with a walkthrough, which helps the user set up their keyboard to their exact preferences to make typing easy, and efficient for anyone to use. With 16 GB of internal memory as well as microSD capabilities, there is plenty of storage on this phone to store pictures, movies, apps, and more. The Not So Good Things Samsung Galaxy S3: Although the S3 allows folders on the home screens, it does not allow apps to be placed on top of each other in order to create a folder – it must be done manually, which is slightly inconvenient. The S3 has an option called “Smart Stay”, which uses the front camera to find your eyes and keep the screen from going on standby. The feature works, but it is somewhat temperamental and does not take too well to soft lighting.

The back cover is somewhat flimsy. Sony Xperia T: Although Sony has improved the viewing angles on their phones since the Xperia S, it still isn’t at the level of Samsung’s phones. When put flat on a table, pictures on the screen were visible indoors, but not too visible when placed outdoors. The battery life is less than impressive when using the apps and browsing services. Using the phone regularly to do more than just check the time will drain the battery well before the day is out. Make sure to carry a charger or an extra power source. Conclusion Both phones are excellent phones.

The Xperia has a better camera than the Galaxy S3 and it is slightly cheaper, but the S3 has a larger, clearer screen. Both are great for browsing and organization, although the Xperia seems to be a slight bit more user friendly as far as apps and widgets go. The short battery life of the Xperia is inconvenient, but that is something that seems to be relatively standard on most smart phones. Both phones seem to be worth their price, and will probably provide some challenges for the iPhone in the coming months.